The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a printer that transports sheet members supplied at constant supply intervals at a predetermined first transport speed and performs image printing onto the sheet members and a processor that transports the sheet members subjected to the image printing at a predetermined second transport speed and performs development processing on the sheet members, an image forming apparatus setup system, and an image forming apparatus setup method. In particular, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a replaceable distributor having a distribution processing capacity corresponding with a required sheet output amount per unit time and a control section for adjusting at least one of sheet supply intervals and a distribution speed, an image forming apparatus setup system including a distributor group containing multiple kinds of distributors whose distribution processing capacities have been prescribed based on distribution speeds and which include a distributor that does not distribute sheet members into multiple lines, where an image forming apparatus is set up using a distributor selected from the distributor group in accordance with a required sheet output amount per unit time, and an image forming apparatus setup method using a distributor group containing multiple kinds of distributors, whose distribution processing capacities have been prescribed based on distribution speeds and which include a distributor that does not distribute sheet members into multiple lines, and an adjuster group containing multiple adjusters for adjusting at least one of sheet supply intervals and a sheet distribution speed in accordance with a required sheet output amount per unit time, where an image forming apparatus is set up using a distributor selected from the distributor group and an adjuster selected from the adjuster group in accordance with the output amount.
In recent years, an image forming apparatus has been put into practical use which obtains a digital signal by photoelectrically reading an image recorded on a film, generates image data for recording by performing various kinds of image processing on the digital signal, records the image on a photosensitive material by scanning and exposing the photosensitive material with a light beam modulated in accordance with the image data, performs development processing on the exposed photosensitive material, and outputs the processed photosensitive material as a print (photograph).
This image forming apparatus basically includes: an input machine having a scanner (image reading device) and an image processing device; and an output machine having a printer (image recording device) and a processor (developing apparatus).
The scanner obtains data of the image taken on the film (image data signal) by photoelectrically reading projection light from the image on the film with an image sensor, such as a CCD sensor, and sends the image data signal to the image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus performs predetermined image processing on the image data and sends resultant data to the printer as image data for image recording (exposure conditions).
When the printer is of the type which utilizes light beam scanning exposure, cut sheets of photosensitive material obtained by cutting a roll of long photosensitive material into a predetermined length, are transported to an exposure position. At the same time, a light beam modulated according to the supplied image data is deflected in a one-dimensional direction, that is, in the main scanning direction and impinges on the photosensitive material and, further, the photosensitive material is scanned and transported in a sub scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction to thereby two-dimensionally scan the photosensitive material by exposure to the light beam to form a latent image. In the processor, predetermined development processing is performed on the photosensitive material that has been subjected to exposure (hereinafter also referred to as simply the “exposed photosensitive material”), and a print is obtained on which the image photographed on the film is reproduced.
In such a digital photo printer, in order to efficiently output a large amount of prints, it is necessary to scan a photosensitive material by exposure in a short time and perform the development thereon. Thus, it is necessary to achieve an improvement in the processing efficiency of the development, and, in order to perform the development while transporting the photosensitive material in a plurality of lines, there have been proposed various distributing devices for transporting the photosensitive material in plural lines through distribution.
In particular, in a digital photo printer in which scanning and exposure are performed on a photosensitive material being transported while deflecting a light beam within a predetermined range, it is desirable to avoid a situation in which the image to be recorded is recorded on the photosensitive material in an inclined state or recorded in an offset state; in this respect, it is desirable to perform post-exposure distribution in which, after recording on a photosensitive material by exposure, the photosensitive material is distributed into plural lines and transported.
In addition, in the processor, a unification unit is provided which unifies photosensitive materials transported in plural lines into a single line after development processing and dry processing. The photosensitive materials unified into the single line by the unification unit are then sorted and accumulated by a sorter in units of one roll of film or the like.
Also, as to such an image forming apparatus, there is also a case where several types of image forming apparatuses having similar external appearances and different performance specifications are designed with a common printer or processor and these image forming apparatuses are brought to market as serialized models.
When such serialized models are constructed based on a conventional image forming apparatus, however, only the printer or processor is set as a common component and other components are designed specifically for the respective models. Therefore, in such serialized models, the commonality ratio of components is low and different control methods are used in the respective models. Consequently, there occurs a problem in that the development cost and design cost of the serialized models are increased.
Also, in the case of a conventional image forming apparatus, when it is desired to increase its print output processing capacity per unit time, it is required to change the specifications of the image forming apparatus by, for instance, bringing the image forming apparatus to a factory and replacing its printer or processor with another one having a higher processing capacity. Therefore, there occurs an inconvenience in that it is impossible to run business during the modification at the factory, a huge cost is required for the modification, and so on.